1/31/2017 12:45 AM PST

Peyton Manning might not be the only superstar NFL quarterback in Washington ... Drew Brees tells TMZ Sports he's also open to the idea of running for office after he hangs up the cleats.

The 38-year-old QB is like a living God in New Orleans and is incredibly involved in the community -- so, when we saw him at LAX, we asked if he'd thought about politics after his days with the Saints are over.

"It won't be the first thing I do, but I'm not gonna rule it out," Brees told us.

There's a lot more in this clip ... Brees also praises Matt Ryan ("deserves to be the MVP") and addresses the Sean Payton trade rumors -- essentially telling us he ain't going nowhere!!!